The Vengeance delivers an intriguing premise with Newman’s signature atmospheric writing, but it doesn’t quite reach its full potential. While the world-building is engaging and the emotional depth is strong, the pacing feels uneven, and some character arcs lack resolution.

Fans of Newman’s work may still find it enjoyable, but it doesn’t stand out as one of her best. A solid read, but not a must-read.

I struggled trying to read The Vengeance and unfortunately I was not able to finish the book. I am not sure if it was the pacing of the story or maybe I am not familiar with this author's style of writing.
Thank you NetGalley, Emma Newman, and thr publisher for the opportunity to read it.

I enjoyed the story. It was kind of slow the first chapters but I highly suggest you continue reading it. Great characters and good story.

Emma Newman's The Vengeance is a gripping blend of high-seas adventure and gothic intrigue. Raised aboard the pirate ship Vengeance, Morgane is thrust from brutal sea life into the treacherous courts of 17th-century France in search of her true lineage. Newman’s vivid prose and immersive world-building bring both settings to life, from thrilling naval battles to the rigid elegance of nobility. Morgane’s struggle to adapt—navigating politics, etiquette, and self-discovery—adds depth to her journey.

While the novel’s pacing lags in the middle, particularly as Morgane adjusts to court life, the payoff is rewarding, especially when the supernatural elements hinted at in the series emerge. Though these aspects arrive late, they add an intriguing twist to the historical setting. Fans of swashbuckling adventures with a touch of gothic mystery will find The Vengeance an engaging and atmospheric read.

3.5*
I will say this first I went into this book expecting this to just be a pirate book imagine to my surprise that paranormal is in it. Then I took my ass to goodreads to read the genre and it was in there for my eyes to see. So I say this is completely my fault. Also should have realised it since this series is literally called ‘the vampires of dumas’ hint the vampire in the name.

This book has such a plot but the pacing wasn’t that good. The start of the book was amazing, having to read about how Morgane lived on ‘the vengeance’ and how she worked with being a girl pirate. I thought that this part would go on a little bit longer but it didn’t. Would’ve loved to see how the ship got on after the death of the captain. Morgane journey to find her mother was interesting until it wasn’t.

Since this series is advertised as vampires, the said vampires didn’t show up until the 90% mark. I would have assumed that they would show up earlier and be stronger since we all know that vampires are stronger than normal people. Apparently not in this book.

Also can we talk about the synopsis of the book! It literally says ‘The truth about her real mother’s death from twenty years ago’ what death??? Her real mother is alive and Morgane gets to meet her. Like I’m so confused as to what this is trying to say since it doesn’t happen in the book at all.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the start of this book, the pirate vibes were great, I really felt like I was on board a pirate ship and like I was in the thick of the action. Even when the pace slowed a little and we were getting the daily grind of being on board I was enjoying it but I got bored as soon as she reached dry land and I’ve not wanted to pick it back up in 2 days so decided to call it quits at the half way point.
I think part of my issue was her inner monologue, her dwelling on her identity and parentage and upbringing, I understand it’s important to the story but it got really repetitive and annoying. That being said I think that’s a personal gripe I don’t think many would be bothered by that. I do think there’s an audience for this story though

This was such an intriguing story! So many unique elements, and so many surprises along the way! The characters were interesting and the story kept moving at the perfect pace. There wasn’t a moment I wasn’t fully invested and intrigued to see what would come next, whether I was on the edge of my seat of simply devouring because it was just so good!
From the start to the end, I couldn’t put this one down!

This book is a fun, thrilling ride! It takes the swashbuckling adventure of Dumas’s world and adds a dark twist, making for a unique read. Morgane is an incredible character—she’s tough, determined, and not afraid to go after the truth, even if it means leaving behind everything she’s ever known. Her journey from pirate to uncovering her true heritage is packed with action, danger, and plenty of surprises.

If you love a mix of high-seas adventure, and mystery, this book is definitely for you. Morgane’s journey is one worth taking, and I can't wait to see where her story goes next!

Unfortunately, This was DNF for me at about 20%. It just wasn't for me. I am rating it 3 stars because even though it wasn't to my tastes I do think there is an audience out there that will enjoy it.

DNFed at 30%— the hook was compelling on paper, but the execution didn’t hold up and the author’s writing style was oddly grating.

This was my first introduction to Emma Newman as an author and while I enjoyed the journey, there were some things about the book that I wish were a little different. The overall pacing of the book felt very odd to me. I felt like the beginning 60% of the book went very slow and then the last 40% of the book went very fast. There were relationships, dynamics, and events that I think could have been dragged out longer and given more substance. I felt as if I did not get to see the relationships between the main character and other important characters be formed in depth and that made me feel like I did not have a solid connection to many of the characters within the book.

A swashbuckling adventure across open waters and through France, The Vengeance introduces firecracker Morgane. Raised amongst pirates, Morgane is foulmouthed, uncouth, and brave. When the woman she thought was her mother is killed in combat, she finds out her birth mother has been looking for her this whole time and she sets off for France where dark truths await her.

This was an excellent read and I look forward to more set in this world - pirates, vampires, and werewolves all come together in brilliantly new ways. That being said, I think I would have preferred if the supernatural had entered the narrative earlier than the last third. While I thoroughly enjoyed the pacing in the first half of the novel, it felt somewhat rushed through in the last half and I found myself wanting to linger more in certain scenes or in certain plot points.

Action-packed and with an enticing love story, this is certainly a book to remember and Morgane will capture your heart. I will eagerly await further installments in the Vampires of Dumas series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Rebellion team for this ARC!

The Vengeance by Emma Newman is an action-packed and gripping book that transports readers into a world of piracy, family secrets, and betrayal. Morgane, raised as the daughter of a fierce pirate captain aboard the Vengeance, has always lived a life of adventure on the high seas. But when her mother, Anna-Marie, is fatally wounded in battle, a shocking revelation is made—Anna-Marie is not her biological mother.

In the wake of this revelation, Morgane embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about her origins, leaving the Vengeance and everything she has known behind. As she delves deeper into a world of political intrigue and dark secrets, Morgane uncovers the truth about her real mother’s death and the hidden forces vying for power.

Fast-paced and filled with action, The Vengeance weaves together elements of family, betrayal, love, and adventure. Newman expertly builds a world full of danger, intrigue, and high stakes, keeping readers hooked from start to finish. With its twists and turns, this book is a must-read for fans of pirate adventures and tales of personal discovery.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

This begins aboard a ship and had some interesting character relationships; however, I found it a little slow moving and difficult to relate to, so unfortunately this was a DNF for me.

The plot of this book was excellent, and all of the characters had so much personality. An overall super enjoyable adventure story with a hint of supernatural

Interesting premise, but not well paced. I skimmed a third of this. The characters are very young and while Morgane’s temperament fits well with the way she grew up, it because tedious to listen to her justify her behaviour instead of changing it as needed to fit her chosen path forward — she acted more like a spoiled brat when we was anything but. I get that she was angry and young and grieving, but it certainly didn’t endear her to me; I found her incredibly annoying and wanted to get to the end as quickly as possible. I did like Lisette, and the relationship between them was well done. The introduction of the Garou and the vampires felt rushed and somewhat illogical, as they were introduced seemingly randomly once 60% into the story rather than having been a feature throughout — and realistically there should have been signs earlier, not only to make them more believable but because surely there would have been some form of seagoing creatures, too. If werewolves and vampires, why not sirens too?

Overall I enjoyed the premise of this story, even the second half of the book where FMC goes in search of her family. I liked the idea of exploring LGBTQIA+ relationships in this era. Exploring neurodiversity and challenges what it means to be intelligent. Exploring the dynamics of Vampires and Warewolves. But the pacing of the book prevented much exploration of any of these themes, and I felt myself confused by the factions at play, and left unsure if I’d missed something or if it wasn’t there to begin with. I also felt disappointed that Morgane and Lissette went from being kinda sorta friends to lovers in such a short timeframe. I also felt disappointed that the Vampire element too so long to show up, and the battle was over so quickly.

DNF at 27%

I tried to push through this since it's an ARC copy, but I just can't. The first few chapters were great. Seeing the pirates take over the ship and Morgane's mother's death was so high action that was immediately slowed down. I'm not even 30% in and nothing's really happened except travels from the pirate ship back to France, and I stopped before they even docked at France.

I expect a book about pirates and vampires to be exciting and fun, but it was just boring with nothing to keep me engaged before getting into the thick of it.

This is an ARC from NetGalley. This book has so much promise. I enjoyed the aspects of adventure on the high seas and a badass female character. Too bad all that ended in the first 50 pages. The plot of this book just did not exist; girl finds out her true family is not who she thought, get chased around the countryside, out of the blue romance , random Werewolves for 5 pages that got no backstory or development, found family, Vampires, again that got no backstory or development for 20 pages, family is evil, girl defeats family, the end. It felt like this would have been the introduction to a much longer story. Everyone needed much more character development and the story needed more space to breathe and engage the reader. #netgalley # thevengeance #vampires #werewolves #pirates

The premise of this book is definitely what drew me to it the most! And I feel that the premise was definitely true to the book.

I loved Morgane, and I loved following her story. The world building and imagery were also done beautifully!

Unfortunately the book felt a bit slow at the beginning, and then everything happened towards the end of the book. I felt that it definitely could’ve flowed a bit better. I will say that once it picked up, I couldn’t stop reading but I did struggle with the start of the book.